Authors: Mokhtar Mahfouz Shatla , Jasser Essa Alnami , Mohammed Khalid Othman , Manar Salman Alharbi , Badr Salem Alsaeedi , Faisal Turki Alzahrani , Maram Mohammed Almathami , Tala Jaffar Rummani

Abstract

Background: The use of social media has become an integral part of the current adolescent’s living, which raises concerns over the psychological health and quality of life (QoL). The addictive use was associated with emotional distress, poor academic achievement, and reduced physical QoL. The objective of the study was to determine the prevalence of such usage in Saudi Arabian adolescents and to investigate its relationship with the QoL.
Methods: A web-based descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among adolescents aged 12-18 at intermediate and secondary schools in Makkah and Riyadh. Data were collected via a self-administered online questionnaire using a snowball sampling method. The survey included sociodemographic variables, pediatric QoL inventory, and Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS, including descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, t-tests, and Pearson correlation analysis.
Results: Of the 689 participants, 31.2% were identified as high-risk or problematic social media users. A strong negative relationship was found between social media addiction and total QoL (r = -0.110, p = 0.004), emotional (r = -0.159, p < 0.001), and school functioning domains (r = -0.077, p = 0.044). Higher addiction scores correlated with lower QoL scores and worse academic performance with higher daily social media use (p < 0.05).
Conclusion: Social media poses a problem for nearly a third of adolescents, linked to poorer emotional states and academic performance. These findings highlight the need for awareness campaigns and preventive measures to promote healthy digital behavior and ensure adolescents’ mental and academic well-being.

Keywords: Social media, quality of life, adolescents.